* * *
At my offer to stay for a meal, Cedric blinked at me in surprise again before quickly following after me as I left the room.
“I—uh, wait, I’m coming too.”
Well, it made sense. I’d never invited him to eat before.
Despite us being childhood friends, it was always Cedric clinging to me like a bother, while I just kept pushing him away.
‘Kind of feel bad about that. I shouldn’t do that anymore.’
I no longer feel inferior to him.
There’s no reason to be on guard or keep my distance anymore.
So… maybe we really could become true friends now.
‘As long as Ceddy doesn’t mind, that is.’
Thinking that, I looked at Cedric.
He really was an amazing person to have in my life.
If I had to pick someone I could be proud of, someone I could show off as a friend, no one could beat Cedric.
Up until now, our relationship had been a little too ambiguous to call true friendship.
But from now on, I hoped we could be honest with each other, share our feelings, and be real friends.
I immediately told my mother that I wanted to invite Cedric to dinner, and she was so surprised she gasped, but she happily agreed.
Usually the chef prepared meals for us, but tonight, my mother personally cooked.
“So you two finally made up.”
“Mm… We weren’t really fighting.”
“Really? I thought you were sulking after a fight.”
She laughed warmly.
As we continued our meal, she suddenly seemed to remember something.
“Come to think of it, the Sunlight Ball is coming up soon, isn’t it?”
The Sunlight Ball.
One of the empire’s grand events.
Held annually in the Great Hall of the Imperial Palace, it’s a week-long social gathering where noble youths turning twenty come together to meet potential marriage partners, build connections, and get acquainted.
It’s also called the Coming-of-Age Celebration.
Of course, since it’s a ball, there’s time set aside for dancing—and most people choose their dance partners well in advance.
If you wait until the day of, you’ll be scrambling to find someone.
In the novel, it was at this very Sunlight Ball that I asked Liette to be my dance partner… only to be turned down because of Cedric.
“Have you two chosen your dance partners yet?” my mother asked.
“…Hmm.”
I slowly placed a piece of meat in my mouth and glanced across the table.
Cedric didn’t react at all.
‘But I’m sure Ceddy will ask Liette to be his partner.’
Just like in the novel.
And I won’t get in their way.
“I do have someone in mind.”
“Oh? Who is it?”
My mother’s eyes lit up with curiosity.
I smiled shyly before answering.
“Viola.”
Viola is a female beta I met during my time at the Imperial Academy.
We kept in touch occasionally but weren’t especially close.
Still, I chose her because of something I remembered.
‘If you don’t have a dance partner… would you like to be mine?’
‘…Sure.’
When I had asked Liette to dance, Cedric had suddenly cut in and asked him too, putting Liette in a position where he had to choose between us.
Liette chose Cedric.
And I was left alone.
At the time, I thought Cedric was just trying to mess with me.
He’d never shown any interest in Liette before, so it felt like he’d only done it to spite me.
Now, I think… maybe Cedric had just been afraid of losing Liette to me.
Anyway, it was Viola who kindly accepted my thoughtless offer when I was heartbroken.
When I went up to the imperial palace during the ball season without a pre-arranged partner, I happened to propose to her on the spot—and yet, she accepted without hesitation.
It was a scene from the novel, something that hadn’t happened to me yet in the present, but… I was still thankful she agreed.
I felt oddly guilty for approaching it so lightly.
So this time, I was planning to speak to her more seriously and make a proper proposal.
While I was caught up in that warm train of thought, Cedric’s sharp voice suddenly cut in.
“Viola? Why are you bringing her up all of a sudden?”
“…‘All of a sudden’? I mean, I’m at least a little close with Miss Viola.”
We’re close in our own way—close is close, after all.
“What about Lett?”
“What does Lett have to do with this?”
“……”
“It’s not like Lett will be left alone, but if you’re that worried, why don’t you ask her to dance first?”
“……”
“……”
Hmm. What now?
Cedric’s expression was steadily getting worse.
Why is he glaring at me like that?
‘Did I say something wrong?’
Strange.
I don’t think I said anything I shouldn’t have…
His eyes were so fierce that I instinctively looked away without realizing it.
Soon, Cedric opened his tightly sealed lips slightly.
He looked like he wanted to say something… but in the end, didn’t.
An awkward, heavy silence fell.
As the atmosphere grew heavier, my mother—who had been quietly watching Cedric and me—stepped in as if trying to mediate.
“Cedy, is there someone you’d like to dance with?”
The silence dragged on even longer.
Cedric stared at me for a long moment before…
“No. There isn’t anyone.”
He bluntly dropped the answer and resumed eating.
What was that?
That reaction felt… oddly sour.
Hmmm.
If the story goes according to the novel, Cedric will definitely ask Lett to dance.
There was no mention in the novel of Cedric being interested in anyone other than Liette, and I’ve never heard any rumors about him secretly seeing someone either.
Besides, from what I know, Cedric is the type to form deep and narrow relationships, just like me.
Even if I haven’t paid much attention to him until now, if he had someone he was seeing secretly and his behavior changed, I feel like I would’ve picked up on it.
‘So what’s the problem?’
I could only be puzzled by his lukewarm attitude.
A few days later, I invited Cedric and Liette to my estate.
It had been a while since I last saw Liette, and she greeted me with a beaming smile and a big hug.
“Eddy! I missed you so much.”
“Yeah. Welcome, Lett.”
“I was really worried after that day.”
“Sorry… for kicking you two out like that.”
Thinking back to my birthday made me feel a little embarrassed.
That day, I had regained memories from my previous life, and I was overwhelmed with emotion.
I had told the two of them to leave, saying I wanted to be alone, and kicked them out of the estate.
The atmosphere that day couldn’t have been colder.
Even my parents were surprised… definitely a dark mark on my history.
“It’s fine, as long as you understand.”
Liette responded warmly and smiled brightly. I smiled along with her, and soon led both of them to the salon.
“Make yourselves comfortable. Lett, I prepared lots of your favorite sweets.”
“Wow! They look so good.”
Liette gasped in delight at the three-tiered tray of treats.
As she and Cedric each moved to sit on separate sofas facing each other, I couldn’t help but meddle a little and jumped in.
“Sit here.”
As naturally as I could, I guided Liette to sit on the same sofa Cedric was on—just to seat them together.
Then I sat across from them, feeling a quiet sense of satisfaction.
Liette tilted her head briefly but didn’t seem to dwell on it, thankfully.
The problem, once again, was Cedric.
Just like before, he squinted his eyes slightly and started glaring at me with suspicion.
‘Hmm. Why’s he glaring again?’
I meant well…
Ah, maybe—
‘Was he embarrassed to sit next to Lett?’
Shoot. I guess I wasn’t being sensitive enough.
‘Next time, I should sit with Cedy instead.’
Up until now, I always took the seat next to Liette.
Just not doing that anymore should be enough.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
Cedric’s low voice suddenly cut through my thoughts.
I flinched and looked up at him.
“I was just spacing out a bit.”
“……”
“Uh, anyway, let’s eat before the tea gets cold.”
Ugh. He’s so intimidating, I can’t even look at him properly.
I really don’t know what’s gotten into him lately.
I subtly shifted toward the tray, turning my back on Cedric’s inexplicable stare.
Even as I handed them plates and poured tea into their cups, Cedric continued to glare at me with burning eyes, so I ended up fixing my gaze almost entirely on Liette.
“Oh, right! Do you two remember those kids?”
Liette opened the conversation again.
“Med and Asaka—you know, the ones who had a shouting match at Seina’s birthday party.”
Up close, Liette’s eyes sparkled like pink rose petals, and they were so pretty that I found myself unconsciously staring at them.
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Apparently they hit it off after that fight.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah! They even decided to dance together at the ball.”
“I see.”
“See? You never know how relationships will turn out. I’m definitely going to ask them what happened when I see them again! Oh, by the way, have you guys decided who you’re dancing with at the Eternal Night Ball?”
As if the thought just occurred to her, Liette took a sip of warm tea to calm her excitement and asked.
‘Ah.’
It came up earlier than in the novel.
I hesitated for a moment, but my answer was already decided.
“I’d like to dance with Miss Viola, if possible.”
“Oh… Miss Viola? Really?”
Suddenly, Liette reacted with surprise and glanced sideways at Cedric.
What part of my answer made her feel like she had to check Cedric’s reaction?
I couldn’t understand it at all, so I just gave an awkward smile.
* * *
